Life is Great

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Adapted from Poires au Chocolat's Whisky and Dark Chocolate "The Beautiful and the Damned" Cake.
I used peppermint extract in place of the alcohol and Valrhona 72% chocolate discs for all the chocolate elements in this recipe, including the decoration. Peppermint extract contains a strong menthol fume, use sparingly to avoid overpowering the cake.

Chocolate Cake


• 250 grams butter


• 300 grams soft brown sugar


• 100 grams plain flour


• 100 grams self raising flour


• 5 eggs


• 300 grams dark chocolate (85%)


Peppermint Syrup


• 50 milliliters peppermint extract


• 100 grams golden caster sugar


• 100 milliliters water


Peppermint Dark Chocolate Ganache


• 100 grams dark chocolate (85%)


• 125 milliliters double cream


• 1-2 tablespoons peppermint extract, to taste


Swiss Meringue Buttercream


• 2. 5 egg whites (I used 3 without incident)


• 120 grams caster sugar


• pinch of salt


• 220 grams butter, at room temperature


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Butter and line the tin (all in one 20cm, or I halved the recipe between two 15cm tins). Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly. Beat together the butter and soft brown sugar until fluffy. Measure out the flour into a bowl. Add the eggs one by one, adding a tbsp of flour between each addition.

Pour in the chocolate, beating at the same time. Fold in the flour. Spoon into the tin(s) and smooth the tops. Bake for about 1 hr 20 for a larger cake or 1hr for two smaller ones - check with a skewer. Spike the top of the cake and brush with peppermint syrup. Let cool then remove from the tin.

Split each cake into two and brush the insides/bottom with more peppermint syrup. Leave to sink in then use or wrap in cling film and freeze till later.

Make the peppermint syrup: In a heavy saucepan, heat the water and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and continue stirring until the syrup has slightly thickened. Remove to a bowl/jug to cool, add the peppermint extract. Brush over cake layers as above.

Make the ganache: Chop the chocolate up finely and put in a bowl. Heat the cream until nearly boiling then pour over the chocolate. Leave for a few minutes then stir well until you have a smooth ganache. Add the peppermint extract to taste, taking care not to add to much.

Make the Swiss meringue buttercream: To halve an egg white, mix slightly with a fork before measuring out by sight. Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk frequently, keeping it over the heat, until the mixture reaches 160°F/70°C and the sugar has dissolved (rub some between your fingers - if it feels grainy, it hasn't dissolved).

Transfer the mixture to a mixer with a whisk attached and beat on medium-high for 8 minutes, until stiff peaks have formed and the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Turn down the speed to medium and start adding small chunks of butter, checking that it has incorporated before adding more. Keep beating until it comes together, after about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Assemble the cake: Place strips of baking parchment on your serving plate in a square, to cover the plate. Put the first layer of cake in the middle, then smear on 1/3 of the ganache. Repeat until you reach the top. Fill in any gaps on the sides so that the cake and filling is a perfect cylinder and there are no gaps between layers.

Chill in the fridge while you make the buttercream for about half an hour. Remove about 1/4 of the butter cream to a plate and use a palette knife to create a thin crumb coat. Put in the fridge for another half an hour or so to firm. Scrape all the rest of the icing onto the top of the coat and use the palette knife to drag it down and create and even layer of icing over the cake.

Prepare the decoration: Divide the patterns into three sections of 6 inches each. Melt the chocolate using a microwave or over a double boiler, taking care not to overheat it. Pipe out the design onto baking parchment masking taped over the drawn design using a plastic piping bag with the end snipped off.

Let the chocolate harden slightly at room temperature (don't do what I did), then put it into a microwave or preheated oven for a few seconds till it has melted. Leave for a few seconds then bend over a similar curve to your cake - I used a Milo tin. Leave to cool. Remove from the paper carefully and press lightly into the icing. Repeat with the other two sections until you have a full circle.